﻿7*4 



PHEASANT. 



rather than come there by chance *. In various parts of Eng- 

 land in great plenty, and breed in abundance, efpecially where 

 there are woods, of which they are fond, and are plentiful 

 enough to afford full fport for thofe who delight in the gun. 



They breed on the ground IJke the Partridge, and lay from 

 twelve to fifteen eggs, which are fmaller than thofe of a Hen, 

 and fi milar to thofe[ of the Partridge, but paler: the young fol- 

 low the mother like Chickens. The male may be heard to crow 

 in the woods not greatly unlike a Cock, and will frequently 

 come into the farm-yards in the neighbourhood of woods, and 

 produce crofs breeds with the Hens. 



M. Salerne remarks, that the hen Pheafant, when done laying 

 and fitting, will get the plumage of the male, and after that be- 

 come fo little refpefted by him, as to be treated with the fame in- 

 civility as he would mew to one of his own fex. He mentions 

 this as a new obfervation ; but it is far more common than may 

 be generally fuppofed, and had been long before mentioned by 

 Edwards f. A gentleman of my acquaintance, dead long fince, 



* They are compleatly imprifoned in the Ifolo Madre, in the Laggo Maggiare 

 at Turin, as they .cannot fly over the lake ; for on their attempting to do this 

 they are drowned, except the boatmen pick them up.— Keyjler. Trail, i. p. 378. 



f This author gave for example one kept in the menagery of the Duke of 

 Leeds ; and remarks, that this change is molt likely to happen when in a con- 

 fined ftate. The cir.cumftance of the Hen acquiring the plumage of the Cock, after 

 a certain time, is not confined to the Pheafant ; the inftance of the Pea-hen || be- 

 longing to Lady Tynte, no# in the Leverian Mufeum, evinces the contrary, which, 

 after having many broods, got much of the fine plumage of the Cock, with the 

 addition even of the fine train feathers. The female alfo of the Rock Manakin is 

 faid to get the plumage of the oppofite fex after a number of years ; and per- 

 haps, if obferved hereafter, this may be found to be the cafe with many other 



Jpecies. 



II, Pi. LX. 



5 wno 



